Atlanta Fights Back, No Southern Hospitality for Ice Storm

Posted on February 11, 2014

A series of major winter storms are poised to cripple the Deep South, Southeast and Carolinas tonight through mid-week with heavy, wet snow and potentially crippling ice. Not only will travel be a nightmare, but widespread and lengthy power outages will be added into the mix as well.

Credit: WeatherBug

Winter Weather Advisories, Winter Storm Warnings, and Freezing Rain Advisories extend from Oklahoma and Texas all the way to the Carolinas. An Ice Storm Warning is now in effect for parts of southeastern Georgia and southwestern South Carolina. Cities from Dallas to Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., as well as Columbia, S.C., are all included.

WeatherBug Live Cam in Acworth, GA (this is a live image and will change as conditions change)

The storms could be a “catastrophic event” reaching “historical proportions,” the National Weather Service said. More than 1,000 flights have already been cancelled across the U.S. (along with more than 2,600 delays) as this winter storm system moved into the South — just 2 weeks after Atlanta was brought to its knees when a few inches of snow crippled the city.

WeatherBug Live Cam in Atlanta, GA (this is a live image and will change as conditions change)

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for nearly a third of the state on Monday as salt trucks and snow plows were readied. The National Guard also has 1,400 four-wheel drive vehicles on standby to help anybody stranded.

WeatherBug Live Cam in Canton, GA (this is a live image and will change as conditions change)

“We are certainly ahead of the game this time, and that’s important,” Deal said. “We are trying to be ready, prepared and react as quickly as possible.”

WeatherBug Live Cam in Morganton, GA (this is a live image and will change as conditions change)